Aincrad Recoded
by Getsuga Jujisho
Summary: What happens when the "one who protects" is rendered powerless? Now when a chance is presented to Ichigo, he will dive into a new death game. But what could be the motives of the one who offered him this chance?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is the first of a series of stories in my head. Though I have no idea how long it will take me to finish them. I will only work on one at a time.**

****Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.****

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><p>Chapter 1: New Journey<p>

It had been a week since Ichigo lost his spirit energy. At plain sight it seemed that he was dealing with his lose, but deep down it had already stared to slowly depress him. Each day he would watch as his friends would leave class to deal with hollow attack. There was nothing he could do to help. Sure, Uryu and the others could handle them but he started to feel useless. He wished that there was something he could help with. But without his powers what could he do?

As he walked home he thought of how if given the chance to be able to raise his sword again to protect, he would do it with no room for regrets. Unfortunately, sometimes you get more than what you bargained for.

The ex shinigami was too busy sulking that he failed to notice a hooded man that had Ben walking next to him for a while now. "So, are you really willing to do anything if it means protecting others?" Snapping out of his daze, Ichigo turned finally taking notice of his companion.

"Wah!? Who the hell are you!?"

"You haven't answered me yet. If you answer me, I'll answer you. Do you want to be able to protect other again?"

"..." It was a tempting offer, but who was this man? If he was an enemy why would he offer Ichigo help? In any case his wish had been heard. Why not give it a shot? "Yeah, i want to be able to protect other. At first I thought that I could handle losing my powers as a shinigami. But now, seeing my friends fighting and being unable to do anything makes me feel useless." All he could see was a wide smile form under the mans hood.

"I thought so. After all, the desire to protect others is part of your very nature. Now, let go somewhere more comfortable some we may discuss business." Raising his hand, he produce a bright flash. When it died down they appeared in Ichigo's room.

"Now, I believe that I have yet to introduce myself. I am the one and only creator of all time and space. Since I don't have an actual name you may call me what ever you want."

"Hun!? Wait a second, are you telling me your the damn Soul King!?"

"Actually, that would be my son. I won't go into too much detail so I hope you can follow along." With a nod from Ichigo, who had a nervous face, this supposed god started explaing. "Now, as you know there are a few dimensions including the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the World of the Living. But what you don't know is that in reality they are all part of a single realm. In each of them I left one or more of my children to overlook it as they see fit. No two are exactly alike. Some alter slightly, other drastically, and other are completely different. Each work by its own rule and realities."

At this point in his life nothing could surprise Ichigo, so he couse to simply believe it. "Ok then. How does this have anything to do with you giving back my powers?" The grin that formed on the mans face was even greater than that of Gin Ichimaru's.

"Sorry, but I never said that I would simply restore your powers. What I offer is the chance to protect again nothing more."

"Than what are you planing to do?"

"It's simple really. I plan to break the boundaries between realms, and overlap one of them with your. You see there shall be a tragedy that will cost hundreds of lives. You shall take part in it and do your best to help out. Oh, and that won't be the only reality you shall travel to. But to ensure thing don't get too out of hand, I shall alter your memories and past in some of them. Also, as a show of good will you shall have access to your powers in some form or other. Just be warned, "

"Fine, I don't really mind that. But what about this realm, will you alter my memories here too? And what about my family and friends? I can't just leave them."

"Don't worry, no harm will come to them." At this Ichigo released a sigh of relief."But as for your memories, you won't remember anything about the spirt world. At least, not until _something _happens. So will you accept?"

"... Why are you doing all this?"

"That, I shall tell you if you return alive."

In truth, forgetting about Soul Society made him uneasy. But there was the possibility that one day he woul remember. If he said yes he could protect those in harms way. And after all he'd been through, the was hardly anything to worry about. With a confident smile, he looked up and gave the answer that would seal his fate in more ways than one. "Fine, I'm in." "Exel-" "But, I'll need you to somehow handle my school life."

"But of course. We wouldn't want you to repeat high school again." _'Not in this world at least.'_

"Great. Then let's get this show on the road."

"Actually, there is one last thing you should know. Since your powers shall be available in some way, I will have you deal with your inner hollow in some way or other. Before you ask, this is only because it amuses me."

'_Great,' _Ichigo mentally sighed, _'I'll have to deal with that bastard again.' _"Fine, I dealt with him once so it should be no problem."

"Well then, with that out of the way, time to visit your new home." With another flash of light they appeared in a small unknown apartment. The room they were in had a bed that looked like Ichigo's old one. Next to it was a desk with a computer and a helmet of some sort on it.

"Welcome to your new home. Consider it a small gift. Now, everything is already in place. All you have to do is place the helmet on your head and lie on the bed." Ichigo did as instructed wondering what the helmet was for. "When you enter this new worl, you will have no memory of our deal and believe that you are there on your own accord. Now, close your eyes and say 'Link Start.'"

But before he could even say it, he remembered something that had nearly evaded him completely. "Wait! What about my family? Aren't they going to question where the hell I am?" This seemed to cause the transcendent a large mocking smile.

"Oh. For a moment I thought you would forget about them." At this Ichigo shot him a death glare. "Calm down,I was merely teasing you. As for your family and friends, they will be under the impression that you took part in a year long exchange program. And don't worry about the details, I will handle matters personally."

"Great," Ichigo said with a sigh o relieve, "I wouldn't want them to worry. Alright, guess thats everything. See you on the other side I guess. LINK START!"


	2. Chapter 2

******Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.******

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><p><strong>『<strong>Welcome to Sword Art Online. Please select your player name and your avatar's appearance.**』**For some reason he couldn't explain, Ichigo decided to name himself Mugetsu. He didn't want to waist time on his avatar so he merely tapped to randomizing button. 『You will not be able to change either later, are sure about your choice?』With a click he put yes. 『You will now be ported to the starting plaza on floor 1.』As the blue light engulfed him, his surroundings change.

When everything came into focus he stood in a large plaza with many other people. Since he hadn't chosen his avatar's appearance he checked a nearby window for his reflection. Surprisingly his facial features were mostly the same. The only differences were that he had red eyes and long, black hair that reached his mid back. _'Why does this look so familiar for some reason?'_

Regardless, what he needed now was someone to show him the basic. _'If I remember correctly, there were some beta testers for this game.' _As he looked for someone who seemed to know there way around he spotted two guys speaking in a small ally. _'Maybe one of them knows how things work here.'_

"Hey!" Both turned around. One had a red bandana around his head and the other was shorter with black hair. "Does one of you two know how to play this game? It's my first time using a nervegear."

"What a coincidence. Name's Kirito and this is Klein."

"Hey there."

"Klein here asked me to walk him through the basics as well."

"Then would you mind helping me out also. To be honest this my first time playing an online game." Since he normally had to work to keep his grades up and got into fight on his way home, Ichigo hardly had free time to play. And when he became a shinigami that time had all but disappeared.

"Well, Klein here also asked for help. It's the first day so I gues's it wouldn't hurt to show you two how things work." And with that the three made there way out to the fields.

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><p>Half an hour after they started all three had already reached level 2. At first it was slow going since Ichigo and Klein didn't know about sword skills. But once Kirito told them how to use them, the cleared out the field mobs within a few minutes.<p>

"Wow, you two sure are good at this. Why don't we take a break and meet up later."

"Actually, I ordered a pizza for 6:30. So how about at around seven."

"Sounds good to me. I don't really have much to do back in the real world. So I'll stick around a little longer. How about you Kirito?"

"Well I ate before coming her and it'll be about an hour before my sister and mother return so..." Before he could finish Klein had grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You have a sister?! How old is she?" Kirito started to back away from Klein but failed to get free.

"Sorry but she doesn't like games. And I'm pretty sure she she wouldn't date a gamer." Before Klein could say another word, Ichigo decided to help Kirito get Klein off him. He chose to do so the same way he did with Kego and his father, by kicking him in the face.

"OW! What the hell was that for!" He said while glaring at Ichigo.

"You were starting to become a pain in the ass! Beside you should be glad, if I didn't stop you, you'd miss your delivery."

Looking at the time, Klien realized that what Ichigo said was true. "Oh crap! My pizza! Well, guess I'll see you two later." As both Ichigo and Kirito waved him off, Klien paused and asked a surprising question for the two of them. "Hey guys, how do you logout?"

"What are you talking about? The logout button should be at the bottom of the menu."

"I know that already! What I'm asking is why isn't it there?"

"..."

Soon both Kirito and Ichigo had their menus open looking for the logout option.

"The hell!? Why can't I find the damn thing?" said Ichigo with an angered expression.

"Thats what I've been asking you! *sigh* Maybe it's just some bug. These thing happen often with new games, right? Man, I bet the game managers are freaking out right now."

"I don't think so," interjected Kirito. "If it was just a bug, the game-masters would have fixed it by now."

"Wait, just what are you trying to get at?"

"I'm saying, what if this was intended to happen?"

" Oh c'mon, you can't be serious. Wouldn't that cause major problems for the company?"

"In any case, shouldn't we try and think of a way to logout," said Ichigo bringing the conversation back to the problem at hand.

"Mabye, we can try removing the nervegears," exclaimed Klien. "Like this!" He put his hand on his head in a way that seemed like he was trying to remove a helmet suck on his head.

"That won't work." Both Mugetsu and Klien turned facing him and asking why. "The nervegear was designed to intercept all impulses from your brain so to stop you from moving in the outside world. The only way to remove it is if someone were to remove it for you. My family should notice that something's up if I'm late for dinner, so I don't have much of a problem. How about you two, do you live with anyone?

"I live alone," said Klien.

"Same."

Before they could continue trying to figure out how to log out, a blue light surrounded them as they watch their surroundings change.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I know that the person Ichigo made a deal with seems to have no purpose for what he's doing. Unfortunately his reasons won't be explained until a long way done the line. Just know that he will have an active role in reshaping various realities. He will also toy with the people within Ichigo's currently lost memories. That's all I can really say at the moment.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO or Bleach.**

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><p>All around the group of three were hundreds of other players appearing in the town square. Each wondering what was going on and why they can't log out. As more and more players continued arriving their conserns grew.<p>

"Hey Kirito, what do you suppose is going on?"

"Don't know. They probably brought everyone here to explain the reason why we can't log out."

"Well lets just hope it's not something too serio-" Looking up at the virtual sky, Mugetsu noticed a red hexagon that seemed to be blinking. "What the hell is that?"

Both Kirito and Klein turned their gaze at the object in question. Soon the entire sky became red as it was covered by thousands of the same figures. A red liquid that strongly resembled blood suddenly started to ooze down. But before it reached the ground, it began to crackle with electricity. It started to take the shape of a red hooded being hovering above the plaza.

**『Players, I welcome you all to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. By now many of have noticed a key feature from your menu is missing, the log out button. Rest assured this is no error. This is how Sword Art Online was meant to be played.』**

Soon many started muttering. _'What's he talking about.' 'He can't be serious.' _And many other things denying the words they just herd.

**『I can assure you, what I am saying is the truth. From this point on, if a player's HP drops to zero, they will die and not respawn. Simeltaniously the nervegear shall emit an electronic pulse that will destroy their brain. If anyone in the outside world attempts to remove it, the same thing shall happen to the wearer.』**

"No way! Is that even possible!?"

"It is." Both Klein and Mugestu turned toward Kirito with starteled expressions. "The nervegear has a large battery in it that should be able to emit a strong enough pulse to kill someone."

**『Regrettably over 200 players' helmets have been removed. Thanks to the reports, the chances of a nervegear being removed are now minimal, at best. Rest assured, the necessary steps have been taken, and your physical bodies are being transferred to hospitals to be taken care of. Now, the only way for all of you to leave is to clear all 100 floors of Aincrad. As a show of good faith, I have placed a certain in your inventories. Please, check and take it out.』**

Reluctantly, everyone did as told. The item was a simple mirror. Soon each player started glowing. When the light died down, everyone's appearance had changed in some form to match the way they truly look like.

**『With this, the «Sword Art Online» tutorial officially en-』**

Everyone watched as the hooded figure of Kayaba Akihiko started to shimmer. "What the hell is going on now?"

"Hey, maybe someone found a way to get us out!" But there hopes were soon crushed as they watched the image going back to normal, only this time it was wearing a black cloak instead of a red one.

**『Hello players, and sorry for giving some of you false hopes of salvation. I am merely here to inform you of a few... updates that have been made to this world. **The first is the addition of long rage weaponry. I know that some of you think this might be a disadvantage agenst others. But keep in mind that this all comes down to just how skilled one is agenst such opponents. The second matter is more of a gift. Amongst you there is someone I made a promise to, and this is my way of keeping it. Time, now within the game, time has been accelatated to four time that of the real world.**』******

This caused mutiple questions to start flying through peoples heads'. Was this guy for real? Could he really make time go faster in the game? But what really caught most of their attention was what he said about a promise. Someone seemed to share a conection to this man. If so then perhaps if they found him, he could be used as leverage to get out.

**『Now before I leave, there is one more mater I must inform you of. There is now a very _special _set of quest that have been scattered throughout all of Aincrad, along with new and dangerous areas. The quest will be many time more challenging than clearing high level dungeons, but the rewards will be well worth your time. Though they do have an extreme down side. Failure to complete some of them might result in disaster toward everyone as a whole. In addition, each quest will only be available once. So choose wisely or you might bring catastrophe upon is all.』**

With that the figure vanish and the sky retuned to its blue color. Everyone soon started an all out panic. Some mourning there circumstance, other in complete outrage, and some just stood in shock at the event that just transpired.

"Guys! Over here!" Both Klein and Mugetsu followed Kirito into an ally, away from the commotion. "Listen, soon players are going to start clearing the plains of mobs. Our best chance is to start heading towards the next town. I know a quick rout that should get us there with no problem. Would you two like to come?"

"Hm..." Mugetsu thought of the idea for a moment before making up his mind. "Sure, I'll go with you. After all, there still a couple of thing I want to ask you about."

"And you Klein?"

"Sorry," he said, "but I logged in with a couple of friends and I can't just leave them. But hey! We can still stay in contact. That way, if one of us needs help the other two can help." Both smirked at his idea before nodding their head in approval.

"Great! Let me just you and... Hey wait a second!" Both looks at him with puzzled expressions. "I just realized, you haven't said your name this entire time," he said pointing an accusing finger at Mugetsu. The later simply rubbed the back of is head sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. Guess it must have skipped my mind." At this, Kirito and Klien looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Well in any case let's fix that. My name is Mugetsu. But if you want, you can just call me Mu."

After exchanging their player info, both party went their separate ways. With one staying to help his friends and the other two setting out to clear the death trap they were now in, the events that would shake all of Aincrad were set in motion.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Some of you should probably go back and reread the last chapter. I forgot to add something and had to go back and insert it. Also, I willbe switching back and forth from calling Ichigo Mugestu or just Mu. Other than that I' like to thank urs-v for helping me finally think of a way to write a summery.**

****Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.****

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><p>It has been two months since the death game know as «Sword Art Online» stated, and no one was any closer to freedom. They had yet to find the first boss. Even so over two-thousand people had died. Though most death were due to players full of despare taking their own life. Even so may still believed they could survive.<p>

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><p>After Mugetsu and Kirito reached the next town, both had decided to go their separet the way they had been able to reach level 6 by clearing the wolf and boars that would spawn in their path. Since then the only time there was any form of communication between the two was when Ichigo messaged him on where he could find a better sword.<p>

『Look for an old house with the Secret Medicine of the Forest quest at the edge of the forest near the village. The reward is the «Aneel Blade». Just make sure you don't cut the bulb carried by the Nepent. If you do, you'll be swaremed by mobs.』

The next morning he set out to complete the quest. It took some time to reach the house but thanks to Kirito the house was easy to recognize. So after accepting the quest he headed out into the forest to gather the required item. Unfortunately he soon found out that the quest would take longe than expected.

_'Damn, I've been at this for an hour and still can't find a single flower. There must be some way to get this done faster.' _Soon his mind came up with an idea that most would find crazy or completely stupid. _'Well, it's worth a try.'_ And with that he slash the bulb on a Little Nepent, causing the nearby mobs to surround him from all sides. _'Shit, guess it wasn't such a good idea after all.'_

By the time he finally finish clearing all the mob his HP had been depleted to the red zone. But he somehow managed to get two «Little Nepent's flower». _'All I need for the quest is one. But it's to be able to be used as a healing item. Maybe I should save the second just in case.' _As he was exiting the forest a tall white figure caught his attention. Above it seemed to be a quest marker. _'I'll check it out after finishing this.'_

And so he returned to the mother's house and gave her the «Little Nepent's flower». "Thank you, now I can heal my daughter. Please, follow me." He did as told and entered a room with a feverish girl lying on a bed. He watch as the mother added the flower into a jar before pouring it into a cup and give it to the girl to drink. She quickly seemed to get better and started hugging he mother. Mu couldn't help but smile at the seen before him.

"Thank you again for helping me kind sir. We don't have much, but if you wish, you may take the sword mounted on the living room wall. It would serve you better than us in any case."

"Not a problem," he answered with a smile. "Oh, there's something I need to ask you before I leave."

"And what would that be?"

"If I brought you more «Little Nepent's flowers» would you be willing to make some more of that medicine?"

"But of course! It would be the least I could do for your help! Just bring me the flowers and I'll see what I can do." Hearing this he handed her his extra flower and waited to receive two small flask with a clear green liquid. After that he stood up and grabbed the «Aneel Blade» from its place on the wall before leaving.

When he returned to the in at which he had been staying it was still near midday._ 'Man that quest was tiring. Still, I wonder what that figure in the forest. Guess I'll go back and checking it out some other time. For now I just want to lie down and...'_ but thanks to him getting up early, his exhaustion got the better of him, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

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><p>When Mu woke up the sun was already setting in the distance. He had received a message sometime while sleeping. With nothing else to do he decided to see what it was about. The one who sent it was no other than Kirito.<p>

『Hey Mugetusu, why didn't you come to the meeting? Apparently they have found the boss room. Everyone was asked to form party groups in order to avoid any unnecessary deaths.』

Upon reading the message, any remaining fatigue he might have had vanished. Realization soon dawned on him as he remembered there was supposed to be a meeting about clearing the game. _'Shit,_' he thought, '_I must have missed it while I was asleep.'_

『Sorry, I fell asleep after completing the quest for the «Aneel Blade». Anyway, just send me the location everyone is meeting up at tomorrow and I'll be there.』

『Fine, just make sure you don't oversleep again. We're all supposed to be there by nine.』

The comment about him oversleeping had caused a tick mark to form on Mu's head. _'That was a one time thing, damn it!' _He let out a tired sigh and decided to let it go. 'But want is there to do now, I just slept. And honestly I don't feel like doing any training. Hmm, I could check out that quest I saw in the forest.' And with that he left the inn and made his way back to the forest

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><p>As Mugetsu approached the place where he had seen the unknown figure, he could hear children laugh. "Now, now you two. Remember what we came here to do," said the voice of an unseen man.<p>

"But master," he herd the children respond simultaneously, " we don't know where the enemy is. Why can't we play a game until then?"

"I'm sorry, but we can't let those blades fall into _his_ hands. If he is somehow able to replicate their power it will prove difficult to win in the upcoming war."

_'War? What do they mean? And who is this person they're supposed to fight? Well, guess there's only one way to find out.'_ He stepped out from behind the tree he was hiding. Thanks to the moonlight he was able to see the people before him. They weretwo twin boys and a man that lookedasif he was their father. Both children seemed to be no older than eight anhad green eyes and white hair, with slight bangs covering their face. They wore identical blue kimonos with vertical red and yellow stripes near their waists, light beige hakamas, triangular blue hats with small red fans, and blue shoes. The man similar to them except for his cloths. He had a black kimono and hakama with a white coat on his back.

"Oh, hello there sir. May I help you with something," the man asked in a kind manner.

"Actually I was about to ask-" Before he could finished, the two boys clung to his legs.

"Will you play with us, Mister? We haven't played since we left the village." Both looked at Mugestu with pleading smiles.

"Calm down you two. Let him finish what he was saying." Both let go upon being told.

"Aww, but we wanted to play."

"It's ok." The two turned to Mu, who was now showing one of his rare, kind smiles. "If you want, I can play with you guys later." At this the twins' faces brightened up.

"Yaay! Mister said he would play with us!" Soon they started to jump around in circles.

"Thank you." Mugestu's attention retuned to the man in black. "Those two haven't been able to have fun since this whole mess started. So, what was it that you were about to say?"

"Right, do you guys need any help with whatever it is you're looking for mister..."

"Ukitake, Jūshirō Ukitake. And these two are Sōgyo no Kotowari. It might seem strange, but they share the same name. As for your offer, your help would be greatly appreciated. Though I should warn you, if you find what we are looking for, you will be involved in a deadly fight. Are you still willing to help after hearing this?"

"Of course," answered Mugestu. "Ever since I've arrived here, every fight I'm in is a battle for survival. By the way, the name's Mugestu."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN; I checked and found out that the Aneel blade was not limited, just annoying to get. Also there have been quite a few clues that I have been leaving. And I would like to see if any of you can guess what might happen later on.**

******Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.******

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><p>"So," said Mugetsu, "what is it you need me to find?"<p>

"I'm sorry but I cant tell you too much about it. For now, let's just say it's that a friend of ours have gone missing. There was an enemy attack and he received some head trauma. Thank to this, his state of mind caused him to see us as enemies and run away from us. To make matters worse, someone who betrayed us a while back is after him. We need to get him back."

"Ok then, how does he look like?"

"He resembles a human, but lacks any facial features other than his eyes. Also, he is completely clad in white. Luckily we managed to track his location to this first thanks to an old acquaintance."

_'Great, someone or something like that shouldn't been too hard to miss,'_ he thought. _'Still, I'd like to know more about these enemies he talks about.'_ "Thanks, so could you point me in the direction that he might be?"

"Of Course! Let's see now, there is still two parts of the forest we have yet to explore. We'll check the southern edge of the forest, and you can search the northern area from here. Be careful though, we felt a strong surge of reiatsu not long ago an suspect that he fought a strong enemy."

"Reia- what," asked Mugetsu with a puzzled expression. "Never mind that for now. I'll just get going now. See you later!" With that he ran in the direction Ukitake pointed him in.

"Well now, isn't he impatient. Almost reminds me of the man that helped save my subordinat don't you think so, Sōgyo no Kotowari?" The two stopped jumping around before facing him and answering with a joyful smile.

"Yep!" This in turn made Ukitake smile back at them.

"Now then, we should probably get going as well."

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><p>Soon after Mugetsu ran to his destinatio, he decided to turn on his «Tracking» skill to find anything that might be hiding. But so far nothing seemed out of the ordinary.<em> 'I hope this doesn't take me as long as my last quest.'<em> He continued walking for another couple of minutes until he herd another person's scream nearby. _'Damn! Hope nobody is in trouble.'_ With that thought he sprinted in the direction of the scream.

He emerged in a small clearing lit by a crescent moon. The sight before him was one of death. On the opposite side of the clearing stood a tall dark figure with white, waist-long hair coming out of the back of his helmet. At his feet laid the body of a man wearing white. Only that the top half of his body was missing. _'The hell is this!? Did that thing do this? Don't tell me that the one on the floor was Ukitake's friend! Damn, I better take care out it before anyone else is killed.'_

But before he could charge at that monster in question, the reflection of the moonlight caught his sight. Next to the corpse lay a silver bow with blue line intersecting over it._ 'So that's what that guy in the black coat meant by weapons with a longer range.'_ Soon his attention was brought back to his enemy as he let out what seemed to be a pained growl.

It snapped its head back and lookEd straight at Mugetsu. Thanks to the moonlight he was able to see the frightening face of his opponent. It turned out that the helmet was actually his head, and that his face was covered by a bone like mask, with two horns on either side of his head sticking out forward. Over the center of his chest was a large hole that seemed to be filled with some sort of white substance. _'Shit, he saw me. Guess a surprise attack is out of the question.' _Thebeast continued to advance as and soon its name was revealed. _'Shiro? Is that suppose to be some sort of joke?'_

But when it was half way to Mugetsu, it stopped and grabbed its head in pain. _'What now,' _he wondered. "Oy! You feeling ok?" His answer soon came when both it raised its hands and they turned into a pair of long, black blades. "The hell! Hey, just who or what are you?" Instead of doing as told, it charged at Mugetsu with both arms crossed in front of him. Before he made impact though, Mugestu drew his new blade from his back and blocked the oncoming attack. "Don't feel like talking, huh? Then I guess I'll have to beat the answer out of you!"

Both jumped back before charging at each other again. Mugtsu used the «Vertical» sword skill only to be blocked by Shiro's left arm, before stabbing Mugetsu's left shoulder with his right._ 'Something's not right. All the mobs up until now have shown little to no intelligence. Yet this guy seems to be reading my movements and blocking my sword.'_

When the blade was withdrawn from his shoulder, Mugetsu noticed that his health had already dropped to the yellow zone. _'What!? How can one blow do so much damage?'_ He quickly decided to drink one of the vials he received from his previous quest. His HP instantly regenerated before he was slash down his back. Luckily he had movedout of the way partially, but still received a fair amount of damage. If he wasn't careful, he would be in the red zone soon. _'Wait, what?'_ his HP was restoring itself at a fast rate. _'I guess this potion does more than simply heal someone. I can actually feel slightly stronger than before!'_

Soon, another attack was heading towards him at high speeds. Shiro's arms were raised to his side, preparing to fall onto Mugetsu. "Not this time you don't!" He blocked both arms before kicking Shiro in the side. He quickly used the moment of surprise to slash the left arm off his opponent. This caused Shiro to let out a roar of pain. "Now we're even." His _friend_ turned and gave him a hateful look with his glowing, yellow eyes. He crouched down for what Mugetus assumed was another attack, only to be surprised at what happened next.

A large, red sphere started to form between his horns._ 'Oh shi-'_ The energy was quickly released in a large, red beam. Too fast for someone to dodge, Mugetsu decided to place his blade in the way regardless of how futile the attempt seemed. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the oncoming force that was about to follow. Only that in the end, he never felt it reach. _'Huh? Why hasn't the blast reached me yet?'_ Opening his eyes he saw Ukitake standing in front of him with two sword attached together at their hilt by a cord.

"Thank goodness," said Ukitake. "I made it just in time."

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><p><strong>If you're reading this, it means that something personal came up. I'll try to solve the problem as quick as I possibly can. I won't update, but I will write the chapters. This way I can simply upload them when everything is set strait. I' sorry for having to make you wait so soon.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**AN; Thanks for pointing out the errors that I missed. Also just to clarify, anyone else related to Bleach while in SAO will be AI's developed by the hooded man. There will be one exception, but that will be later on in the story, along with two other people from SAO. One last thing, I plan to diverge from the main story at some points to clarify a few thing that will happen later on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO or Bleach.**

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><p>"Ukitake," said Mugetsu. "How... when did you get here? I thought that you were on the other side of the forest."<p>

"Sorry, but now's not the time to explain. Right now, we need to defeat this hollow."

"Hollow? I thought its name is Shiro," he exclaimed.

"I don't know about its name, but that is definitely a hollow. They are born from souls who have lost their heart due to despair and anguish. The mask they wear, along with the hole on their chest are a symbol of this."

"Wait, so then why does this one have its hole sealed?"

"What!?" Looking back at the hollow, who was still recovering from using such a massive attack, Ukitake realized that where a hole should be was a strange substance. "This is bad, what ever that is, it's not normal. We need to finish this as quick as possible!"

"Easier said than done. That thing almost killed me twice already! So I hope you have a damn good plan." Both quickly turn their attention back to Shiro who was now charging straight at them. "And please, make it quick!"

As soon as Shiro was within striking distance, he vanished and reappeared behind Ukitake. "What, that thing can use flash-step!?" With a quick slash, he cut Ukitake down his back. "Damn. Guess, it's up to you now, Mugestu. If he uses that beam attack again, don't hesitate and get behind me for cover."

"Are you kidding? Look what he did to you, how could you possibly block it in the state that you're in,"he asked. "Besides, he'll most likely target you now with that wound."

"No, he won't." Mugetsu turn and looked at him asking to clarify. "For some reason, he is still after you. It's probably due to your lack of reiatsu. Even so, I can still help. I might not be able to attack anymore, but I can still defend myself," he explained with a confident tone.

With a smirk, Mugetsu charged straight at the enemy, only to be blocked. "Y'know, I'm not completely sure what's going on. But you can be sure as hell of one thing. And that's that we will win!" The arm that had been previously cutoff suddenly regret with its blade still on and raised to strike a devastating blow. With little time to think, Mugetsu jumped to the side and used the «Horizontal» sword skill and hack off both arms. Whith an outraged roar, Shiro retreated. Soon another beam was charging between his horns.

"Mugetsu, get behind me quick!" Doing as told he watched as the beam was absorbed by one of Ukitake's blades before being released through the other. When it was close to making contact however, the hollow mearrely sidestepped to avoid the redirected blast._ 'So that's how he block the one that almost killed me.'_ "It seems that he can't attack after each cero he fires. And he doesn't seem to be able to regenerate instantly. I suggest that we get rid of at least one of his horns, so that he doesn't fire another."

"But I thought you just said he can regenerate. How can cutting his horns help us?"

"Thats the difficult part. You will need to strike when he is charging the cero. There won't be any room for hesitation. If you do we'll both end up dead!" A low, hollow growl brought their attention back to Shiro, who to their surprise only regrew one of his arms. But instead of charging, he immediately began to form another cero.

"Are you kidding me! So that thing understood what we said and changed his attack pattern?"

"Mugetsu, stick to the plan!"

"Right!" Not losing another second, he ran straight at his opponent, only for the cero to disper before even raising his sword. _'What the hell?' _Quickly, Shiro latched onto Mugetsu's shoulder with his mouth and stabbed him through the heart. _'Damn it!' _*cough*_ 'Wait, why am I coughing up blood? Was this add to this quest as a special effect? So, I guess this truly was one of those "special" quest.'_ An image of his family flashed through his mind. _'Karin, Yuzu, dad. Is this as far as I was ment to go? I'm sorry, I guess I won't be seeing you again.' _Suddenly, he felt a strange shock to his head

**_'Tsk, is that really all you got to offer? Man, what a letdown you turnout to be!'_**

_'Huh? Who's that? Where are you?'_

**_'And here I thought you'd be stronger than that. How pathetic. Well, if this is as far you're gonna get, you might as well lay down and wait to die. So long, king.'_**

_'Wait a second! Tell me who you are, damn it!'_

**_'Though I should probably thank you, now I won't have to deal with that bastard. Hmm, nah. Someone as pathetic as you should just die. See yah!'_**

Mugetsu waited to hear the voice and confirm it was truly gone_. 'He's right, I am pathetic. Am I really just going to give up and die?' _New found determination surged through him as he looked his enemy straight into his visible eye. _'No! I refuse to die here! I will escape this death game and defeat any one who stands in my way. This I swear upon my soul!' _Raising his sword, he placed it by Shiros neck. With one last strike, he used «Horizontal» to remove the hollow's head. Its body fell to the ground, dislodging his blade from Mugetsu's chest. His head soon followed to the ground._ 'Finally,'_ he thought. _'It's over.' _With that thought, he too colapsed to the ground on his back. His eyes met those of his vanquished enemy.

'Thank… you,' he heard.

_'What!?'_

"Mugetsu!" His attention went to Ukitake, who was slowly walking to him due to his own injures. "How bad are your wounds? Do you have anything to heal them with you?"

"I'll be fine. Just look in my pocket for a couple of potion." He soon held two flask filed with red liquid. "Now, just let me drink one."

"Are you sure this will be enough? Wouldn't it be better for you to drink both?"

"Nah, one should do the trick. Plus, you're not looking too well yourself. You drink the other one." Not wanting to risk the young man's life due to more arguing, Ukitake complied and placed the potion in Mugetsu's also deside to drink the one he had been offered. As soon as he swallowed the liquid, he could feel is wounds slowly closing.

"Incredible," he said. "To think it would work so fast!" Mugetsu let out a smirk before closing his eyes and falling uncauntious. Ukitake's swords began to glow. When the glow subsided there stood the two boys known as Sōgyo no Kotowari, along with a regular katana.

"Is mister okay," they asked with worried expressions.

"Don't worry you two. He'll be fine." Both cheared upon hearing this. "But he is extremely exhausted, so he won't be able to play with you right now." This stopped their chears.

"Awww…" Both looked down in disappointment. It seemed that the promise they made would have to wait. "Soo… did we find what we came to look for?" Surprised to have forgotten about their original objective, Ukitake scaned the area for it. There was no sign of their objective, but he did find the bow that belonged to Shiro's last victim. His eyes widened upon realizing to who it belonged to.

"This can't be good. We should probably bring this back with us and inform the others." Before he could ponder further on the matter, blue light particles started gathering next to Mugetsu on the ground. "What… when and how could this happen!?"

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><p><strong>Hey, so as it turns out my problem resolved itself on its own quicker than I expected. Well in any case, I'll continue the story like I have up until now.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**AN;… Sorry, I didn't expect having to make all of you wait so long.**

****Disclaimer: I don't own SAO or Bleach.****

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><p>Mugetsu woke up to the sound of playing tag with Ukitake. But the game stopped upon Ukitake taking notice of him rising. "Oh, your awake. So how do you feel, do you need any help getting up?" <strong><br>**

"No thanks, I'm fine. The only problem is this splitting headache I have," he said rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, I almost forgot. What happened to the one you were looking for?"

At this the twins that had continued their game without Ukitake stopped and gave a saddened look. "He's dead, most likely devoured by that hollow we fought last night. And it seems that he wasn't the only one." Mugetsu looked at home for an explanation. "We found a bow near the fight. Our friend did not use one. And judging by its kind, it seems there is a second war approaching before we even finish this one. Well in any case, don't feel bad. Our friend will most likely be in a better place now."

"I see…" A sense of regret hit him. Could he have saved that person if he had run faster? This might all not be real, but the pain that Sōgyo no Kotowari showed was all too real._ 'I need to get stronger. That way I won't fail to save someone again. Be it an NPC or another player, I won't let them die if I'm around!'_

But his focus quickly shifted to something he realized once he was on his feet._ 'Is it me or is there a reason that I feel lighter?'_ Looking Dow he saw that it was due to his new attire. He now wore the same black kimono that Ukitake had, minus the white coat. "Um, is there a reason I'm wearing this, Ukitake?"

"Well you see," he began. "Your armor was nearly destroyed by the hollow. So I decided to give you a spare shihakushō I had. It might seem like it won't offer much protection, but it can slightly increase your physical abilities." Wanting to confirm this, Mugetsu opened his status window. But whhat he found was more than he expected. His shihakushō was giving him a 7% boost in all his stats and skills, and his level had reached 12.

"What the hell!? Last I checked my level was 10. So how did I level up twice already?" While he continued talking, Ukitake and Sōgyo no Kotowari mearly looked at him like he had grow a second head. "It must have been that hollow. Even if that thing was on the first floor of this game, that thing was extremely strong. Most likely it was ment to be fought with a larger group of players."

"Um… excuse me, what game are you talking about?" This caught him off guard. For some reason or other Ukitake and the twins seemed overly self aware. But in any case that wasn't particularly a problem for him.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. I was just thing out loud for a moment." He was then tackled by Sōgyo no Kotowari with a hug to the ground.

"Play tag with us! You said you would play once it was all over." Both sat atop Mugetsu's chest while he rubbed the back of his head due to the fall.

"Sure thing, but could you get off me first." An so all four of them played for about half an hour before Ukitake had to take a break. But both kids still seemed to be completely unaffected.

"Ok now, settle down you two. How about we eat before continuing the game. I'm sure our new friend must be hungry after what happened last night." Mugetsu was about to say he was fine, but his virtual stomach growled before he could even get a word out.

The meal that followed was calm and simple. They ate some rice balls Ukitake had and some bread that Mugetsu had bought back in town. To drink they just had some water and tea that Ukitake brewed.

"Oh, before I forget. There is one more thing I'd like to give you for your troubles." He pulled a long katana from behind him before handing it to Mugetsu. It had a blue string tied to the bottom of a hilt rapped in red. The guar was a rectangle with a few simple designs on it. "This," he said, "is a zanpakutō. It's the primary weapon of us shinigami, though I won't go too much into that right now. In any case, that blade will only become as strong and powerful as ones own strength."

"Are you sure," asked Mugetsu. "I failed to save your friend, and I nearly got us all killed. Should you really be rewarding me?"

"Excuse me," said Ukitake with a smile. "Are you forgeting that it's thanks to you that we slew the hollow in the end? Now with that monster gone we don't have to worry about our enemy getting ahold of our friend."

_'Wait, is he really ok with letting his friend die just to stop someone? No, he protected me from those red blast. If he wanted me dead he could just have let me to die rather than heal me. Is there more to his words or something?'_

"As for our friend," he continued, "he might not be by our side anymore, but I'm sure that he will still find his path." Sōgyo no Kotowari stood at Ukitake's sides, who then kneeled and hugged them.

"I see…" _'It's not that he would sacrifice his friends, but that he believes that they will still find peace.'_ Mugetsu might have failed to meet the original goal of the quest but still managed to gain much from it. He had managed to level-up in the span of one night and received a powerful new sword along with some intriguing gear. And most of all he had found the time to simply relax and enjoy some of the things this death game had to offer._ 'Wait… didn't I have to meet up with the other players for the boss fight today?'_ Glancing at the time he saw it read 8:52. "Shit, I'm late!"

Ukitake and the twins looked at Mugetsu who seemed to be in a panic. "Is something the matter?"

"Sorry but there is somewhere I need to be." He got up and grabbed the zanpakutō he had been given. "Thanks for everything but I must leave."

"Oh don't worry, we understand that you have your own problems to attend to. Come to think of it, there's someone we have to see ourselves."

"Thank," responded Mugetsu. "By the way, what do think of finishing our game if we ever meet again?" At this Sōgyo no Kotowari's face lit up with a joyful smile.

"You promise," they asked in unison. Their new friend merely nodded his head. "Yaay! Mister said he'll play with us again!"

"Well, guess that's everything. See ya around." And with that he left while the three companions waved him goodbye. _'Man, can't believe I forgot about the boss fight!'_

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><p><strong>AN: Again, sorry for not updating in a while. I'll try to add at least two more chapters before the end of the year.<strong>


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